Converting a '75 Volkswagen Beetle to electric

Chris Knipstein

Posts: 45

Location: Fort Wayne, Indiana

8

posted 1 year ago

2

I'm part of a 'Maker space' in Fort Wayne, IN and a couple people are currently converting a 1975 Volkswagen Beetle to a everyday driver electric vehicle. I thought people might like to see how the electric motor looks mounted up. Some video was taken of mounting it but it needs to get edited down first. We're adding pictures of it to a photo album on the Facebook page as the project progresses. The picture below is the best one, so I uploaded it to Imjur to link here. The rest in the Facebook album are just different views, opposite side, from below etc. I've put the link to the album below if your interested in those other views.

Click the 'next' button above the top right corner to scroll through the pictures
Facebook photo album

Chris Knipstein

Posts: 45

Location: Fort Wayne, Indiana

8

posted 1 year ago

1

Half of the batteries have arrived, and they fit perfectly behind the back seat! The other half will be mounted in the trunk, up front. Also uploaded a better shot of the motor in place. More photos added to the Facebook album link in the original post. (Off topic but I also just uploaded to Facebook a video and pictures of a Tesla coil one of the people made, I thought it unique as it uses salt water in glass pop bottles for capacitors, and cut pieces of copper pipe for spark gaps.)

R Scott

Posts: 3349

Location: Kansas Zone 6a

32

posted 1 year ago

Awesome!

Are you upgrading the brakes or using regenerative braking or both?

"You must be the change you want to see in the world." "First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win." --Mahatma Gandhi
"Preach the Gospel always, and if necessary, use words." --Francis of Assisi.
"Family farms work when the whole family works the farm." -- Adam Klaus

Chris Knipstein

Posts: 45

Location: Fort Wayne, Indiana

8

posted 1 year ago

One of the two people doing the conversion was on vacation for a week, and I wasn't in the shop at the same time as the other to ask about the braking yet. I did peek under the hood today and saw the motor controller was mounted so I suspect a test drive may happen in the near future!

Chris Knipstein

Posts: 45

Location: Fort Wayne, Indiana

8

posted 1 year ago

R Scott wrote:Awesome!

Are you upgrading the brakes or using regenerative braking or both?

I asked the people doing it and found out the answer for you. The brakes were upgraded to disk brakes before they purchased it, and they are also using a regenerative system. So the answer to your question is 'both'

R Scott

Posts: 3349

Location: Kansas Zone 6a

32

posted 1 year ago

Chris Knipstein wrote:

R Scott wrote:Awesome!

Are you upgrading the brakes or using regenerative braking or both?

I asked the people doing it and found out the answer for you. The brakes were upgraded to disk brakes before they purchased it, and they are also using a regenerative system. So the answer to your question is 'both'

Awesome!

Regenerative braking is good for efficiency, and discs are good for safety. You are going to be a good bit heavier than the original bug, and its brakes were not good to begin with.

"You must be the change you want to see in the world." "First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win." --Mahatma Gandhi
"Preach the Gospel always, and if necessary, use words." --Francis of Assisi.
"Family farms work when the whole family works the farm." -- Adam Klaus

Chris Knipstein

Posts: 45

Location: Fort Wayne, Indiana

8

posted 1 year ago

1

It's (almost) done! The VW went for it's first test drive today. It only has half the batteries it will have, and the charger has not arrived yet. There are still some 'extras' dangling from below you can see that need dealt with. However, the test drive *had* to be done!

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